Guides

Adventure in the Atlas

Bureau des Guides (Guides Office)

The Bureau des Guides is located in the corner of the car park opposite Cafe Soleil. The office works on a rotation basis for those guides who are registered with them (31). Registered Moroccan guides have completed a six month training school in Tabant (near Azilal) and hold the equivalent of the British Mountain Leader Award (Summer). Originally set up and run by the French, the qualification system is now run by the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of the Interior. Between 1993 and 2004 there was also an additional ski training element which was based out of Oukaimeden.

There are about 16 guides that have completed a winter training and assessment course in France. This agreement between France & Morocco operated in the 80’s and 90’s. Unfortunately, however, since 1993 this is no longer in place.

Here in Imlil there are also a number of guides without official recognition that operate in the area. Many of these guides have a deep understanding of the area. They are all very keen to get their ‘unofficial’ status recognized, but the school in Tabat is currently not taking new trainees and not operating at this time.

The official price for the guides isn’t standardized but you will pay between 200 to 500MAD for a official guide. If you do hire a guide, his job description does not include being a porter. So the normal package is a guide, a muleteer and a mule for all the kit and in winter conditions porters will be needed as mules can only go as far as the snow line. For more information on using mule and muleteers for your trip please see our Mule Welfare and Muleteer page.